At one stage, the President threw protocol out of the window by holding the PM’s hand to walk her down colonnade steps and then rubbed it.

The New York tycoon called it a great honour to welcome Mrs May to Washington as his first visiting world leader only seven days after his inauguration in a diplomatic coup for Britain.

The pair carried out a traditional exchange of gifts with Mr Trump giving his guest an antique picture of Abraham Lincoln taken from an 1865 edition of Harper’s Weekly magazine. Her husband Philip got a pair of silver cufflinks.

In return, Mrs May gave Mr Trump a Scottish cup of friendship, known as a quaich, reflecting his ancestry.

As they held a joint press conference in the White House’s East Wing, Mr Trump also reminded the world of his mother’s Scottish roots.

State visit in spite of tweets on Kate pics

Her Majesty will welcome America’s new president to Buckingham Palace later this year, Theresa May announced yesterday.

It comes after Mr Trump blamed the Duchess of Cambridge when topless snaps of her were published in 2012. He tweeted: “Who wouldn’t take Kate’s picture and make lots of money if she does the nude sunbathing thing. Come on Kate!”

Billionaire Trump, 70, has also claimed he could have bedded Princess Diana.

He has previously revealed his Scottish mother loved Her Majesty and is said to be angling for a trip to her private Scottish home of Balmoral.

Mrs May said: “I have today been able to convey Her Majesty the Queen’s hope that President Trump and the First Lady would pay a state visit to the UK later this year and I am delighted that the President has accepted.”

The Queen traditionally holds one or two state visits a year, but will help the “special relationship” by fitting in Trump.

President Trump said it was a 'great honour' to see Winston Churchill's bust back in the Oval Office. The pair posed with the bust between them moments after the Prime Minister's arrival

Asked what the two leaders have in common, she said: “I think if you look at the approach we are both taking, one of the things we have in common is we want to put the interests of ordinary working people up there, centre stage”.

In a bid to appear statesmanlike, Mr Trump tried to abandon his usual confrontational approach to the media.

At one stage, he even insisted: “Actually I am not as brash as you might think”. But he did flash in anger at a question on torture from the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg.

And on Russia, he disappointed British officials by refusing to say he would stand up to defend Eastern Europe against Vladimir Putin’s aggression.

The PM’s visit came as it was announced the President will speak to Mr Putin for the first time today, sparking alarm he could walk away from Nato.

Mrs May and Mr Trump also clashed on whether to keep up sanctions on Russia for its invasion of the Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

While the PM said she was determined to keep them in place, Mr Trump would only reply: “We’ll see what happens.”

On Mr Putin, he said: “We’ll see what happens. We look to have a great relationship with all countries ideally. On Putin and Russia, I don’t say good, bad or indifferent. I don’t know the gentleman.” Wearing a striking red suit, Mrs May was greeted by the President at the entrance to the White House’s West Wing just before noon.

After a tour of the Oval Office, the pair held talks for 45 minutes alongside the PM’s National Security Advisor Mark Lyall Grant, the UK’s ambassador Sir Kim Darroch and her joint chiefs of staff Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill.

The pair then broke off for their press conference, Mr Trump’s first since his inauguration a week ago, before sitting down for an hour-long lunch.

In a bid to win influence across Mr Trump’s administration, Mrs May also schmoozed senior US Cabinet ministers during a drinks do at the British Embassy on Thursday night.

Her guests included Defence Secretary General James “Mad Dog” Mattis, his Commerce Secretary nominee Wilbur Ross and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

BBC's had its quips

By LYNN DAVIDSON DONALD Trump mocked the BBC’s political editor with a joke about the Special Relationship as she grilled him over backing torture and praising Russia. Laura Kuenssberg also referred to him wanting to ban Muslims and his anti-abortion stance as she asked him at the White House: “What do you say to our viewers at home who are worried about some of your views?” The President quipped: “There goes that relationship.” He then turned and smiled at Theresa May — asking her: “This was your choice of a question?”

She laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

In a nod to the history of the special relationship between the UK and US, she placed a second wreath at the grave of Brit Sir John Dill, the Field Marshal sent to Washington as Churchill’s personal representative during World War Two. But opposition MPs have criticised Mrs May for “cosying up” to Mr Trump despite his controversial views on Mexican immigrants, Muslims and Putin.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto cancelled his planned visit to the White House on Thursday.

The stand-off came after Mr Trump’s demand that his country pay for a 2,000-mile wall along the border between the countries.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband branded it a mistake for the PM to “align yourself so closely with his project”.

Reporter Ned Donovan was asked "Why is that funny?" when he was denied entry

A press pack from the UK were held at the gates because security officials could not understand their documents listing birth dates in day, month and year.

Dates of birth in the US are listed in month, day and year.

Mail on Sunday reporter Ned Donovan said: "White House press officer just told me off on the phone for laughing when they told me about not knowing British date formats were different."

Quoting a press aide, he said: "Why is that funny? One person put their birthday as 01/08[year], why would we be expected to think that means August 1st? Why?"

President Trump and Theresa May - what did they say?

On Russian sanctions:

Trump: "We’ll see what happens. We look to have a great relationship with all countries ideally."

May: “We believe sanctions should continue until the Minsk agreement is implemented.”

On their disagreements:

May: “The point of the special relationship is so that we can have frank discussions. There are many issues on which we agree”.

On Torture:

Trump: “General Mattis has stated publicly that he does not agree with torture. I am allowing him to overrule me.”

On Mexico:

Trump: “We had a very good call. Great respect for Mexico and the Mexican people. As you know Mexico has out-negotiated us. On top of that the border is soft and weak. I’m not going to let that happen. We are going to be working on a fair relationship. But the US cannot afford to lose out anymore. In the end I think it’s going to work out better for both countries”.

On Brexit:

Trump: “We will be talking to your folks about Brexit. I think Brexit’s going to be a wonderful thing. You are going to have your own identity, make your own free trade deals. Getting approvals from Europe was difficult. I think Brexit will be a fantastic thing for the United Kingdom.

On what they have in common:

May: “We want to put the interests of ordinary working people at centre stage. It’s that interest in ensuring economies and government works for ordinary people.”

Trump said he was pleased to have placed the bust of Winston Churchill back in the White House

The Prime Minister donned a striking red dress that she also wore to meet President Obama in the past - and matching shoes.

She was quickly rushed into the White House and wasted no time before being the first head of government to sign the White House book under the new President.

They then posed for photographs next to the Churchill bust where Mr Trump said it was a "great honour" to have him back in the Oval Office.

Mrs May replied: "Well thank you, Mr President."

The pair carried out a traditional exchange of gifts with Mr Trump giving his guest an antique picture of Abraham Lincoln taken from a 1865 edition of Harper’s Weekly magazine.

Her husband Philip got a pair of silver cufflinks.

The pair had around an hour of private meetings ahead of the press conference.

They were seen walking through the White House hand-in-hand as they made their way to face journalists questions — including one from Sun man Tom Newton Dunn, who quizzed the world leaders on Brexit and what they share in common.

The Prime Minister said: "We want to put the interests of ordinary working people at centre stage.

"It’s that interest in ensuring economies and government works for ordinary people."

“There was real similarities while at the same time, clearly a different take on certain global issues but at the same time, a great respect for nationalism and patriotism and certainly national security.”